MOSCOW, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- A Russian court Wednesday suspended the five-year prison sentence for opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was convicted of embezzlement in July.
Navalny, a whistle-blowing blogger and politician who ran for mayor of Moscow against a Putin-backed establishment politician, was convicted in July of embezzlement and sentenced to five years in prison -- charges Western human rights experts condemned.
As part of the decision by the Kirov Region Court to suspend his sentence, Nalvany may be prevented from running for office under a Russian law in which people convicted of "serious crimes" are barred from seeking a political seat, RIA Novosti reported.
Should Navalny engage in opposition political activity, he could open himself up to arrest as part of the arrangement, The New York Times reported.
Some Russian media have suggested Navalny may be granted amnesty in honor of the upcoming 20th anniversary of the Russian constitution to prevent him from becoming a political martyr, RIA Novosti reported.
